10 Toughest Schedules in 2014

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Unlike in years past, college football will actually have a playoff system in the 2014-15 season. Unfortunately for the 10 teams on this list, they will have brutal schedules to say the least. With that, we look at the 10 toughest schedules in 2014.

Honorable Mentions

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Honorable Mentions

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All of these teams will have it rough in the upcoming season, but don’t quite make the top 10.

10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

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10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will have the tough task of taking on teams like Michigan, Florida State, Stanford, Louisville and others in the upcoming season. Two of those teams could easily win the title.

9. Clemson Tigers

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9. Clemson Tigers

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Clemson opens up the season by playing an SEC team (Georgia) and it closes the season by playing an SEC team (South Carolina). That in itself will not be easy.

8. Florida State Seminoles

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8. Florida State Seminoles

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The defending national champs will have a tough road in the 2014-15 season. Winning a second straight title will be no easy task. Heck, the Seminoles open up the season against Oklahoma State, so losing their first game of the season is possible.

7. West Virginia Mountaineers

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7. West Virginia Mountaineers

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As if playing in the Big 12 wasn’t hard enough, the West Virginia Mountaineers will have to take on Alabama to kick off the season. Luckily, that game will be played at a neutral field.

6. Indiana Hoosiers

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6. Indiana Hoosiers

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Indiana may not enter the season as the best team in the Big Ten, but it will arguably have the toughest schedule. That has to count for something. The Hoosiers will play Missouri, Bowling Green, Michigan, Ohio State and others on the road.

5. Auburn Tigers

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5. Auburn Tigers

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The Auburn Tigers are coming off of a loss in the national championship. Unfortunately for them, they will also have one of the toughest schedules in college football. That tends to happen when a team plays in the SEC.

4. California Golden Bears

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4. California Golden Bears

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The Pac-12 is expected to be brutal this year. Plus, the California Golden Bears will take on the top teams in the conference — UCLA, Oregon and Stanford.

3. Arkansas Razorbacks

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3. Arkansas Razorbacks

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Arkansas probably won’t contend for a national title this year — didn’t win a single game in the SEC last year — but at least it can rep one of the toughest schedules in the country. Some of their toughest games of the season are against Alabama, Georgia, Missouri and LSU.

2. Florida Gators

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2. Florida Gators

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The Florida Gators shouldn’t have any problems against Idaho and Eastern Michigan to open the season. After that, they kick off their SEC season against Kentucky. What makes the Gators’ schedule so hard is the simple fact that they have to play Alabama, LSU, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida State.

1. Utah Utes

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1. Utah Utes

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The Utah Utes have to play Fresno State and Michigan before they can even embark on their brutal schedule in the Pac-12. This could be one of the toughest conferences in the nation, and Utah, like California, will have to play the top three teams.

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